The largest U.S. refinery temporarily shuts down due to Hurricane Harvey's aftermath

The largest refinery in the U.S. is temporarily shutting down due to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, USA Today reported.

The Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, began "a controlled shutdown" at 5 a.m. Wednesday. This closure is one of many outages along the Texas Gulf Coast, which has led to a nationwide spike in gasoline prices, sources reported.

USA Today stated: “GasBuddy.com petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan estimated Wednesday that gas prices would increase 15 cents to 25 cents per gallon nationwide as a result of Harvey — up from an initial forecast of 5 to 15 cents.”

At least 3.6 million barrels per day of refining capacity are offline in Texas and Louisiana, or nearly 20 percent of total U.S. capacity, based on company reports and Reuters estimates.

Motiva generates roughly 600,000 bbl/d and operates the country’s largest lubricant plant for both consumer and commercial use.

"Return to service is contingent upon recession of flood waters in the area," Motiva spokesperson Angela Goodwin said in a statement to USA Today. "Our priority remains the safety of our employees and the community."

The plant was already operating at 60% capacity as of Tuesday afternoon and 40% on Tuesday evening, the news source said.

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